Hard West

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a very specific performance profile in Hard West, a 2015 turn-based tactics title. The data places this combination at rank 2721 out of 2949 tested combos, positioning it in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations. This low ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU, which sits at the 5th percentile of all tested graphics cards. The 14-core, 20-thread CPU is a high-end part, but the integrated-class Arc B370 holds the entire system back to entry-level territory. The benchmark results consistently show that this combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions and settings, making it a configuration best suited for low-resolution, low-detail play.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's overall position in Hard West is unflattering. With a rank of 2721 out of 2949, this system finishes in the bottom 7.7% of all tested combinations. This means that over 92% of the tested hardware pairings deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The bottleneck is unambiguous: the Intel Arc B370 GPU is a severely limiting factor. Its standalone benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad places it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, which it trails by 0.2% and 0.5% respectively. The only GPU it beats in its immediate comparison group is the AMD FirePro M2000, which it outperforms by 1.4%. This context is critical—the Arc B370 is not just a low-end current part; it performs at the level of graphics hardware from over a decade ago.

The CPU, by contrast, is a top-tier component. The Intel Core i5-14600KF sits at the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.3% ahead) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (0.8% ahead). This massive disparity between CPU and GPU performance creates a system where the processor is essentially idle waiting for the graphics card. In Hard West, a game that is not particularly demanding on modern hardware, this combo still manages to fail to reach 60 FPS at 1080p on any setting except Low. The data shows a system that is fundamentally unbalanced, with the CPU's potential wasted by the GPU's inability to render frames quickly enough.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the dominant factor in this combo's performance, and its specifications explain why. The GPU operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, but it relies on "System Shared" memory, meaning it uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. Memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which is a major drawback for a game like Hard West that requires consistent texture and geometry data streaming. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, with a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. These figures are modest, and the FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS is low by modern standards. The GPU's 25 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm it is designed for integrated use, not as a discrete solution for gaming.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 reinforces the GPU's weak standing. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Arc B370 is essentially tied with ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1186 vs 1190), a card released in 2009. In Hard West, this translates directly to the measured FPS. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo averages 79 FPS, which drops to 49 FPS at High and 37 FPS at Ultra. The GPU's performance ceiling is clearly low, and the game's turn-based nature does not save it from frame rate drops at higher settings. The data indicates that the Arc B370 cannot handle the graphical load of Hard West at any resolution above 1080p with acceptable smoothness, as even 1440p Low only yields 50 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals how the GPU becomes progressively more overwhelmed as pixel count increases. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 79 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 50 FPS, a 36.7% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 26 FPS, a 67.1% reduction from 1080p Low. This steep decline indicates that the system is heavily GPU-bound; the Arc B370's limited pixel throughput cannot keep up with the demand of higher resolutions. The trend is similar at High settings: 49 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p (a 36.7% drop), and 16 FPS at 4K (a 67.3% drop). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest a linear scaling pattern typical of a GPU that is the sole performance limiter.

The resolution scaling data also shows that the CPU is not a factor in these drops. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, the FPS nearly halves with each step up in resolution, which is classic GPU-bound behavior. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 12 FPS, which is unplayable. At 1080p Ultra, it reaches 37 FPS, which is borderline but still below the 60 FPS target. The data makes it clear that this combo is only viable at 1080p, and even then, only at Low or Medium settings for a smooth experience. The 4K results are essentially unusable for any interactive purpose, with the highest average being 26 FPS at Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across nine different configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 79 FPS, Medium averages 64 FPS (with a min of 55 and max of 74), High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages 37 FPS. These numbers show a clear degradation as settings increase, with a 53.2% drop from Low to Ultra. The Medium preset offers a reasonable compromise, but the min FPS of 55 at that setting means there are occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly: Low averages 50 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS (min 35, max 47), High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. None of these configurations reach 60 FPS, and the Ultra setting is noticeably stuttery.

At 3840x2160, the results are poor across the board. Low averages 26 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS (min 18, max 25), High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. The 4K results are all below 30 FPS, making them unsuitable for gameplay. The data also includes min and max FPS for the Medium settings at each resolution, which provides insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 55-74 FPS, indicating some variability but generally acceptable pacing. At 1440p Medium, the range is 35-47 FPS, showing tighter but lower performance. At 4K Medium, the range is 18-25 FPS, which is highly inconsistent and would result in noticeable judder. The overall pattern is one of diminishing returns: the combo can handle 1080p Low and Medium, struggles at 1080p High and Ultra, and fails completely at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target frame rate. For a 60 FPS experience, the only viable option is 1080p Low, which averages 79 FPS. This setting provides headroom above the target, ensuring smooth performance in most scenes. At 1080p Medium, the average is 64 FPS, which is above 60 but with a min FPS of 55, meaning there will be occasional drops below the threshold. For players who prioritize visual quality over absolute smoothness, 1080p Medium is the highest setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS, but they should be prepared for minor dips. At 1080p High, the average drops to 49 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a turn-based tactics game where camera movement and unit animations should be fluid.

For a 30 FPS target, which is acceptable for this genre, the combo can run at 1440p Low (50 FPS average) or 1440p Medium (41 FPS average). These settings provide a higher resolution with playable frame rates. At 1440p High, the average is 31 FPS, which is borderline and may feel sluggish. The 4K resolution is not recommended under any settings, as the highest average is 26 FPS at Low, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for playability. The data suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1080p Low for maximum smoothness, or 1080p Medium for a balance of quality and performance. Players who prefer higher resolutions should stick to 1440p Low, which offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p with acceptable performance. The Ultra preset is never a good choice, as it provides the lowest FPS at every resolution without a correspondingly large visual benefit in this older title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a powerhouse that is severely underutilized in this combo. With 14 cores and 20 threads, base clock of 3.50 GHz, and boost clock of 5.30 GHz, the CPU has ample processing power for Hard West. Its Cinebench R23 scores of 32544 multi-core and 4594 single-core place it in the top tier of processors. The Geekbench scores of 17085 multi-core and 2445 single-core confirm its strength. The CPU's L3 cache of 24 MB shared across cores helps with game logic and AI calculations, which are significant in a turn-based tactics game. However, the benchmark data shows that this CPU performance does not translate into high FPS in this game because the GPU is the limiting factor.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 90 means it outperforms 90% of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals are all within 1% of its average score. This indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck in any of the measured configurations. The FPS data supports this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 79 FPS, which is likely close to the maximum the GPU can produce. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS across different resolutions, but the data shows FPS dropping sharply with resolution increases. The CPU's role in this combo is therefore to provide a stable platform without introducing any frame rate limitations. The processor's 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 mounting are standard for desktop parts, and its support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory gives system builders flexibility. The CPU's launch MSRP is $294, which positions it as a high-end part, but its performance is wasted with the Arc B370. In essence, the CPU is ready to drive much higher frame rates, but the GPU cannot keep up, making the combo's performance entirely GPU-bound.

FAQ

*Q: Why does this combo rank so low in Hard West?*

A: The combo ranks 2721 out of 2949 tested configurations because the Intel Arc B370 GPU is a severe bottleneck. The GPU sits at the 5th percentile of all tested graphics cards, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, which is comparable to legacy cards like the ATI Radeon HD 5770. The CPU is high-end, but the GPU limits the system to low frame rates.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo?

A: The data indicates that 1080p Low provides the highest average FPS at 79, making it the smoothest experience. For a balance of quality and performance, 1080p Medium averages 64 FPS. At 1440p, Low is the only acceptable option with 50 FPS, while 4K is not playable at any setting, with the highest average being 26 FPS at Low.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 is very close to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), which it trails by 0.2% and 0.5% respectively. It only outperforms the AMD FirePro M2000 by 1.4%. This shows it performs at the level of much older hardware.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU is at the 90th percentile with an average score of 49394, while the GPU is at the 5th percentile. The FPS drops significantly with resolution increases (e.g., from 79 FPS at 1080p Low to 26 FPS at 4K Low), which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU one.

*Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS in Hard West?*

A: Yes, but only at 1080p Low, which averages 79 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average is 64 FPS, but the min FPS of 55 means it can drop below 60. At any higher resolution or setting, the average FPS falls below 60, making 60 FPS unattainable.

Q: What is the CPU's performance profile in general benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF scores 32544 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4594 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 17085. It is at the 90th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, is only 0.3% ahead. Its high performance is not reflected in this game due to the GPU limitation.